What exactly does Scott Harris see in Dodgers prospects from Tigers' Tarik Skubal trade?

While it wasn’t really a shock to anyone that the Los Angeles Dodgers were the team to snag Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, the light return was a bit jarring and there have to be a lot of Tigers fans — and 28 other MLB teams — wondering what Scott Harris is thinking.

The Tigers got right-handed pitcher River Ryan, outfielder Zyhir Hope, and right-handed pitcher Brady Smith. Sure, Skubal is a rental and will be a free agent after the season, but he’s one of the best pitchers in the game and the Dodgers are looking to three-peat. Harris was in a position to milk as much as he could out of LA and it feels like he sold low.

Let’s dig into these players though and try to understand why Harris was comfortable making this deal even though he could’ve waited until the actual deadline to drive up the asking price.

Why did Scott Harris seemingly settle in trading Tarik Skubal to the Dodgers?

River Ryan is a 27-year-old (turning 28 in two weeks) and yet he’s still somehow considered a top-100 MLB prospect. He made his debut with the Dodgers in 2024 and had an impressive 1.33 ERA in four starts.

He missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery and returned this season to Triple-A where he had a 4.46 ERA in eight starts. He has electric stuff with a high-velocity fastball that touches 100 in the radar gun and some solid secondary pitches.

Still, he’s 27 and if the Tigers had been more aggressive they probably could have gotten a pitcher like Emmet Sheehan who is 26 but at least has more big league experience. It’s a big bet to make on Ryan.

Hope seems to be the best player acquired in the deal as he was LA’s No. 5 overall prospect. He’s 21 and in Double-A this season he’s hit .293/.369/.530 with 23 home runs 87 runs batted in, and 18 stolen bases.

It seems like he has no glaring weaknesses in his game and he could be a potential five-tool guy down the road for Detroit. Imagining an outfield with Hope and Max Clark is promising, so that’s a good addition to the organization.

The final prospect in the trade is a bit more of a head-scratcher, though. Smith was ranked as the No. 17 prospect for the Dodgers. He’s 21 and has a 4.36 ERA in 21 starts across Single-A (19) and High-A (2) this year.

Maybe he turns into something, but the Tigers could’ve tried for a higher-ranked prospect like lefty Jackson Ferris who is closer to the big leagues.

In all, it just doesn’t feel like a package worthy of a return for Skubal. This feels like the Justin Verlander return, and the Tigers have seen how trading your ace can backfire.

Maybe Harris ends up looking like a genius, but until these guys turn into big league contributors this trade is going to be looked at with a wary eye by many. Doing business with the Dodgers is going to upset people already, so selling low on your best player a day and a half ahead of the actual deadline is going to be impossible for Harris to live down if the deal doesn’t work.

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